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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chest — of your body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cap — a hat
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chest — a box
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hand — help
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com